The core countries of focus for this region are Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic and the coastal countries. Depending on the quarterly trends and migration-related updates, more attention may be given to any of the countries over the rest.
On the Atlantic Route, recorded deaths and disappearances fell by 16%, compared with a 67% decline in arrivals to the Canary Islands, suggesting that lower arrivals do not necessarily reflect fewer crossing attempts and may be associated with heightened risks in the context of stricter migration controls.
Movements are increasingly shifting towards the Western Mediterranean Route (+26% 2026 vs 2025), while arrivals along the Atlantic Route continued to decline in the second quarter of 2026 (-67% compared to 2025), contributing to an overall decrease in arrivals in Spain (-33% 2026 vs 2025).
Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR) became the latest African countries to agree to receive third-country nationals expelled from the United States.
Senegal, Mauritania, and Ghana were reportedly discussed as potential partnersfor third-country return hubs following the European Parliament’s approval of the new EU Return Regulation on 17 June.
Ghana and Nigeria facilitated the return of their nationals from South Africa following anti-immigration demonstrations and reported attacks.
The Gambia introduced a bill to criminalise migrant smuggling amid rising irregular departures from its shores towards the Canary Islands, primarily involving Gambian nationals but also Senegalese.
Coordinated attacks in Mali triggered limited displacement, including refugee movements into Niger. Developments in Kidal, a key transit hub near the Algerian border, may both trigger further movements and disrupt existing routes towards Algeria.
The QMMUs offer an update on new trends and dynamics related to mixed migration and relevant policy developments in the region. These updates are based on a compilation of a wide range of secondary (data) sources, brought together within a regional framework and applying a mixed migration analytical lens. Similar QMMUs are available for all MMC regions.
Interested in other Quarterly Updates?
Explore mixed migration dynamics and policy developments in a region, compiled through diverse secondary sources.
